Thursday, May 19, 2005

FCC to LECs: Provide 911 Access for VoIP Players

Leonardo Faoro - The VoIP Weblog

According to a news release on the FCC’s web site (www.fcc.gov), the Bell carriers, or LECs, will be required to provide access for competing VoIP carriers to their E911 call routing facilities. The objective of this move is to guarantee access to the 911 emergency call routing system for customers of VoIP service providers. This was a widely expected move, though I had hoped the FCC would exempt certain small carriers as the Canadian government did last week.

Quite naturally, the order doesn’t say precisely to which VoIP carriers it actually applies. The FCC uses the term “interconnected carriers” but it remains to be seen how much latitude this terminology implies. The order also says that it applies to “certain providers” and not all of them. But, it doesn’t indicate which VoIP purveyors apply and which do not.

Ultimately this order has two effects: First, Vonage customers will get 911 service (but will Skype’s customers? Doubtful.). Second, there will be fewer entrants into the VoIP service provider arena, thanks to the weight of this additional regulation and the technical difficulties it incurs. Stay tuned.Oh Yes, and REVENGE OF THE SITH was amazing!